DESCRIPTION _
WAhLFiOX EhECTRTC DF:VICF: ASSBMBi~Y
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electric. socket assembly
and, more particularly, to an assembly that includes a
decorative Facade.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electric sockets, which include power distribution
sockets (commonly known as receptacles), sockets .for phone
jacks and cable jacks, etc., are found in substantially all
buildings that have electrical service. A st~.~ndard duplex
receptacle has sockets to accommodate two standard electric
plugs. A threaded hole in the center of the recPptac:le
permits a wallplate to be screwed onto the receptacle and
mounted against a wall. An alternative r~:ceptac:le and
wallplate arrangement is the "designer" style, in which the
sockets are within a decorative .rectangular structure and
the wallplate attaches around the periphery of the
rectangle. A deS3gner Style reCeptaCle with a snap-on
wallplate is available from Lutron Electronics Co.,
Coopersburg, PA. Designer style phone jack and cable jack
socket assemblies, for use with conventional (screw-on}
wallplates, are also available commercia3ly.
Devices are known that provide covers for receptacles,
for reasons of safety, energy conservation, or aesthetics.
For example, the Care Cover'" socket cover, available from WE
CARE, Inc., of Pierre, SD, replaces a standard receptacle
wallplate and covers the entire receptacle, including the
holes that accommodate the electric plug prongs. The cover
has a foam-insulated backing to reduce outside air
infiltration. A spring-~c~ada_d s.13c13ng element is movF~c!
aside when a plug is inserted and slides rack in Yront of
the ha 1 Ps when the p llxg a s rc~mnved . Thus , the cover
provides thermal insul~xtion and prevents small children from
9.
CA 02022309 2000-09-05
inserting objects into the socket.
Receptacle caps are available for use with rnultioutlet
assemblies. These assemblies consist of a number of
individual sockets arranged in a line and enclosed within a
molding; for example, Plugmoldv multioutlet assemblies,
available from The Wiremold Company, West Hartford, CT. The
receptacle cap is a plastic cover having holes that can be
aligned with the prang holes in an individual outlet.
Colored caps permit one to change the colors of the outlets.
Installing a cap requires opening the molding, placing the
cap over the outlet, and reclosing the molding.
A two-piece facade for a wallbox mounted device was
disclosed in U.S. Patent 4,835,343, issued May 30, 1989, to
J. T. Graef et al... That patent relates to a combination
wallbox mounted switch device and facade, which are well
suited for the decorator style. The combination includes a
cover plate that permits the wallplate to be mounted with
snap connections and to have an outer surface undisturbed by
features that relate to its mounting.
Coordinating the color of a receptacle, or other type
of electric socket, with colors of walls or other roam
colors present vexing problems that are not readily solved
by prior art devices. During construction, for example, if
a receptacle assembly is installed in a wall before all
elements of construction are complete, there is the risk of
damage to the decorative surfaces of the receptacle. (i.e.,
the surfaces that are visible when the complete assembly is
mounted in a wall). Alternatively, if the assembly is
incomplete, then power cannot be provided to the receptacle
without posing a safety hazard. Furthermore, an ele~tririan
is needed to finally install the remaining elements of the
assembly, after construction i~ complete. Thereafter,
changing the color of a receptacle again requires the
services of an electrician to remove and replace the
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receptacle safely. Thus, the problern vrit.h prior art
receptacles is a result of a cover performing both
decorative and safety :functions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In ac:cordanc:e with the present invention, a wallbox
mountable electric. device r_omprises, in combination:
a) an electric socket for receiving a plug,
b) means for supporting said socket, and
a) a plurality of decorative components attachable to
said support means, each component being individually
removable and replaceable by any one of a plurality of
similarly configured components having a variety of
colors and textures.
In accordance with another embodiment of this
invention, a wallbox mountabl-a elPCtric device comprises, in
combination:
a) an electric socket far receiving a plug,
b) means for supporting said socket, and
c) decorative cover means, removahly attachable to
said support means, for substantially covering said
socket, said cover means having a decorative surface,
uninterrupted by visible attachment means, with at
least one opening to permit insertion of a plug into
said socket.
In accordance with another embodiment of this
invention, a decorative means for covering a wallbox mounted
electr.-ir, socket comprises:
a) a decorative surface, uninterrupted by visible
attachment means, which substantially cove-rs said
socket, and
b) an opening .in said decorative surfar_e to pex:~miu
insertion of a plug into said socket.
In accordance with ~unother embodiment of this
invention, a wallbox mountable electric dev9.ce comprises, in
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combination:
a) an electric; socket h~x~riny a plurality of tF:rminala,
b) means for ~.upport.ing :aaid socket,
c) a protec;tive plate, attachable to said support, to
prevent access to said terminals when said electrir_
de~v:ic:a is mounted in said wallbot:, and
d) decorative cover means, removably attmchaole to
said support mPan~;, for substamti<illy covering sand
socket, said cover means having an opening to permit
insertion of a plug into.said socket..
In accordance with another embodiment of the present
invention, a facade assembly for an electric receptacle
having one or more sockets comprises, in r_ombixrat:ion:
a) a generally .rectangular yoke plate,
b) a generally rectangular cover plate, and
c) a;.wallplate; .
said yoke plate having
i) a first throuigh oirening .in said yoke plmte
for a fastener to attorch sand yoke plate to said
receptacle,
ii) at least one second through opening to permit
each socket of said receptacle to extend through
said yokca plate, and
iii) a plurality of connector means to permit
attachment of said cover pl~.ete in substantially
parallel and ;)uxtaposed relationship to said yoke
plate;
said cover plate having
i ) a first :>url~ace that faces said yoke plate
and a second surface oppc>s:i to to said fir st
surfaoe,
ii ) <a sl:iglut_ty ra:iseci area extending irarn :xa:ic7
Second ~~urface to Form a shird surface; which is
gF~.nerolly parallel to said second surface: and
which has :3 gc~narally rectangular perimeter,
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iii) a plurality of r_onnector.wmeans far alignment
with said connector means in said yoke elate,
iv) a plurality of through openings within the
perimeter of said third surface for alignment ~Jrith
openings in said socket to pe~rm9t the prongs of a
standard Plactrir plug to he operatively
inserted into said sac:ket while said yoke and
covFr plates arN attached to said receptacle, and
v) a plurality of snap attachment means; arid
- 10 said wallplate having
i) an interior surface that faces said cover
plate and an exteriar surface oppasi.te to said
interior surface,
ii) a plurality of snap attachment means
extending Pram said interior surface far
engagement with carresponding ones of said snap
attachment means of said cover plate for
~iem~untable engagement o.f said wallplate in
substantially para.l.le:l and juxtaposed relatianship
?.0 with said rover plate,
iii} a suhstantia.lly rectangular through opening
to surround and adjoin said perimeter of said
third surface of said cover plate, said exterior
surface being stabstantially flat, having na
features that r~P:late to said snap cannectors, and
having length and width at lest egual to the
length and width of said cover elate.
ThQ assembly ~f the rirwent invpnt.i.on overcamas shN
difficulties of changing the color of a receptacle or other
e:l.ectrir: sacket . During construct i on, a receptacle can be
installed in a wallbox, with access to wirzng within 'the
wa.L 1. box b:lack.ed by a mm-decnrat:i W. nrntFCt ivra swppa.rt
plate. Thus, the recPntar.la c:an :be satc~.l.y energized. nn iv
after constructicm .is c:om~>l.wi Ed arf. 1-he ~ic~r,orativa element y
~5 mounted onta the receptacle. Thus these elements need riot
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:1 re r~ t.i ~ of
be present during construction, when the~_can easily be
marred. They can be installed easily once construction is
complete, without requiring an electrician's service.
Thereafter, the decorative :Facade e~lernents can be easily
removed and replaced with elements having a different color
and/or texture, without removing the protective pleut:e (which
would genera lly require an electric9an). Thus, the present
invention separatPS thc~ decorative and safety :Eunc:tions or
socket covers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TI-iE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 depicts a prior art electric device with facade
assembly.
Fig. 2 is an exploded isometric vicew of an embodiment
of the present invention.
Fig. 3 is an isometric view o:P a cover plate Uf the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIOLQ OF TiiE INVENTION
As used in this specification and 'the appended claims,
the term "facade" refers generally to one or more elements
that cover a wallbox-mounted electric socket or control
device. "Wallplat~~'" refers more narrowly to a plate that
surrounds a socket or control device and may be an element
of a facade.
The facade assembly of the present invention provides
an electric socket with an attractive appearance that can be
modified - for example, its color and/or surface texture
changed - by simple replacement of modular components.
There are a number a.f "standard" confi.graraticrns for
wallbox-mounted electric devices a.nd their accompanying
accessories. A pa-r.u.i.c:ularly ai.t.rar_~tive c:oni'i~urmtian i.s
known as the "designer style." Dimensions for designer-
s;tylc~ receptacles and wallplates ores ci~finerd by NEMA
,35 Standard 1-6-196fi, in Standards Publication ivo. 4vD1-199,
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s f r r r.
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page 16. This style wall.plate acrommadat~s devices that
have a vertically-elongated rectangular structure extending
from the surface of a support or "yoke" plate. The
wallplates nave a central ope-aning that accommodates and
surrounds the rectangular structure. The wallplate
generally mor.ints to the yoke plate with mounting screws
located near the top and bottom edges of the plate.
Alternatively, the wallplate may be snap-mounted, as
disclosed in U.S. Patent 4,835,343 ('343), discussed
earlier.
Fig. 1 depicts the designer-style wallbox-mounted
electric control device of '343. 4aallbox 30 has "knock-
outs" to permit the introduction of electric wiring, which
extends through the building walls, ~:~hawn as wires 30a and
30b. Wires 30a and 30b can be connected t~ 7ump loads or
the like which are to be controlled by the electric control
device. Wallbox 30 is also provided with threaded mounting
openings 31 and 32, which are on standard centers and are
adapted to receive mounting screws for mounting a control
device within wallbax 90.
Control device 40 of Fig. 1 is a l:igirt dimmer. Light
dimmer 40 consists of a metallic yoke plate 41 having a
backbox 42 on its rear surface and a rectangular stri~.cture
43 extending from its front surface.
A manually operable slider has a slider handle 43a
projecting beyond the front surface of structure :+3.
t~tavement of the handle between its and po sitions causes
dimming of the lighting load and, when the lowest position
is reached, CallSe~' the opening of a switch that :is in series
with wires 44 and 45 to turn off the lighting luaci,
F~ackbax 42 encloses the control mechanism of d:imrner ~~iJ
and insulates .it from accidental contact with wires ur~
grounds in vaal:lbox 30. Leads 44 ancd 4;i Extend through an
opening in backbnx 42 and may be connected to wires 30a and
30b.
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Yoke plate 41, which is a generally---flat thin metal
stamping, is of conventional s-t-ructure and has two laterally
elongated openings 46 ind 47. Mounting screws 48 anrl 49
pass through openings 46 and 47, respectively, and are
threaded into openings 3I and ,'.2, respectively, to mount
dimmer 40 to wallbox 30. Yoke 41 a:ls.o has tapped openinge~
50 and 51, which are wn standard renters and rpcr~ive screws
52 and 53.
Cover plate 70 is a generally flat plate having.
laterally elongated openings 72 and 73 which are
sufficiently large to receive the protruding head; c~f screws
48 and 49 after those screws are sc:rewPd into yl.nc:e in
wallbox 30. Screws 52. and 53 thread into opEani.ngs 5U and
51, respectively, in order to'hold cover plate 70 t:o ycke
41 . Openings 74 and '1 5 rece ive :screws b?. ~~rrd 53 , and
opening 76 receives rectangular structure 43.
Wall;,olate 71 has a rectangular opening 90, with a
chamfer 91 around its periphery on its front surface.
Opening 90 fits over structure 43. Connectors 92, 93, 94,
and 95 are elongated pedestals adapted to penetrate <3nc1 then
snap hahind openings F30 to 83, resapectively, in cove:c plat
M 0. Flange 96 extends from the edge of the back surface of
wallplate 71.
Fig. ?. dep:icts axn c~lEaCt.r.-ir. receptacle and facade
assembly of the present invention. Receptacle 100 is
depicted as a standaard twrr-socket device mounted within
wallbox 30, and sockets 102 and 104 provide electz~ic
interfaces between house wiring (e.g., 30a and 30b) ~~ncl
plug-in electric devices. Clearly, other types of
receptacles can be used :in place of the particular. type
shown in Fig. 2 (for exarnpla, ,~ single socket or more than
two socket s ) with ;:or:cespondind ::hangfrs in tPre: o thEer
elements of the assembly.
i.ikewise, other types of e:l c~ctr:ic so7ckets - phone jack
and cable j.~rk outlets, for example - could be used in place
8
f'
of the receptacle shown. Optionally, recaptacJe 100 could
include a switch (not 'hown) to disconnect one of the screw
terminals 111 andjor a ground fault interrupter.
Threaded hole 706 aligns with hole 108 and accepts a
mounting screw to permit yoke j~latP 110 to he attached to
receptacle 100. For ~;trHnyth and ~:afPty, yoke r~aatP 110 is
preferahly a metal pJ:~te. The plate b-Locks access to screw
terminals 111 of receptacle 700, t7pPnings 112 and 11n
permit sockets 102 and 104, respectively, to extend through
the yoke plate. Screws pass through holes 116 and 118 and
into threaded holes 31 and 32, respectively, for mountincr
receptacle 100 and yoke plate 1.10 into wa:labox 30. As
shown, when yoke plate 110 9.s mounted, it rovers wallbox 30.
Optionally, yaks plate 110 has vertical grooves (not shown)
about 5 mm in from its .left and right edges to permit
breaking off these edges a=or "rnultp-gang" applications, in
which more than one devir_e is mounted side-by-side and
covered by a single facade. 'fhrPaded holes 120, 122, 124,
and 126 accept mounting screws that pass throunh cover
plate holes 12F7, 730, 1;32, ~znd 134, respectively, to attach
cover plate 136 to the yoke plate. Alternatively, any of a
variety of snap connectors, wP:l:l known a.n the art, r. nn ss.rve
to join cover plate 136 tc~ yoke plate 110. Plates 136 and
110 can also be joined magnetic:a.tly.
Cover mate 136 .is preferzbly molded from plastic, such
as ABS plastic, which i.s p.revFr<-3ht.y colored. HolPS 138 and
140, are large Pnougti to ~~eceive the protruding heads of the
mounting screws that oars through holes 116, and 118,
respectively. Raised area 142 axU-ends from the front or
"see:ond" ,urface of r.ove~r r~.iai.P 1;76 fiorming a dPCOrativr:
"third" surtacF. Through holes t, h, and c~. and d, e, and t
in cover plate 736 al,idn with corresponding hoaes in sockets
102 and 104, resper_tivPly. Optional raised areas 144, 746,
148, 150, 152, and 154 are rairan from fihe sttrYace of platy
136, by an amount less than raised area 142. Openings 156,
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~~srre~~~~
158, 160, and 162 align with and receive--the wallplate snap
projections 164, l6fi, 168, and 1?0, respectively to permit
wallplate 1'12 to b2 snap-mounted onto cover plate 136. If
the tips of snap projections 164, 166, 168, and 170 extend
beyond the back surface of cover plate 136, they can he
accommodated by groves (not shown) in yoke plate 110, which
align with openings 156, 158, 160, and 162 in saver plate
136.
Wallplate 172 is preferably of rnolded plastic, such as
ABS plastic, which is preferably calared to match or
cantrast with the color of cover plate 136. Central opening
1?4 in wallplate 172 receives and surrounds raised
decorative surface 142. Optional chamfer 1'16, which is on
the front surfar_e of wallplate 172, surrounding opening 174,
tends to obscure any variation in co-planarity between the
surface of wallplate 172 and raised decorative surface 142.
Optional flange 178 is located around the perimeter of
wallplate 172, either at or spaced slightly within the
perimeter, and extends about 6 mm from the back surface of
wallplate 172, enclosing a generally rectangular area whose
length and width are greater than the length and width,
respectively; of the apen:ing 9.n wallbox 30. Thus, when
mounted, flange 178 engage; the wall surface, enclosing the
wallbox opening. By being positioned slightly (e,g., 2-4
mm) within the perimeter of wa11p1ate 172, flange 178
obscures any slight variations in contact between the wall
and wallplate 1'12.
When mounted an a wall, only the dec;nra~tive <~urfmr.es of
cover plate 136 anr3 wallpiate 172 are visible. Thus,
replacing these elements changes the appearance: (e. g.,
color, texture, material) of the assembly.
Fig. 3 is an .isometric view of cover plate 13f, viewed
from the side opposite that shown in C:ic~-, 2 and showing the
back or "first" surface a~ adapter p:l.ate 136. Preferably,
partially -recessed areas 180 and 18?_ in the first _~iarface
,_
g~ ~ v' ~ ~ w iJ a
align with openings 122 ;end 114, respectively, in yoke p.)ate
110. Thus, when the el.ernc~nt<~ are assembled, sockets 102 and
104 extend into partially 2~ecessed areas 180 and 182,
respectively. As shown, the left and right edgPS of.
recessed areas 180 and 182 optionally have a separation
greater than the width of .raised decorative surface 142 and
the top and bottom edges of 'recessed areas 180 and 182
optionally have a separation greater than the length of
raised decorative surface 14?.. Partially raised (i.e.,
raised less than surface 142) areas 144, 146, 148, 150, 152,
and 154, visible in Fig. 2 and shown in cutaway in Fig. 3,
strengthen cavex~ plate 1.36 in the regions where recessed
areas 180 and 182 extend beyond the perimeter of raised
decorative area 142. In addition, the partially raised
areas provide a "fourth" surface, which serves as a bearing
or "stop" surface for positive positioning of wallplate 172
when it is attached to cover plate 236, so that the front
surfaces of .raised decorative area 142 and wallplate 172 are
preferably flush.
Since certain changes may be madF in 'the above assembly
without departing from -the scope of the invention herein
involved, it is intended that all matter contained in the
above description or shown in the accompanying drawings
shall be interpreted in an illustrative and not a limiting
sense.
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